Chad Ford Blog - ** MOCK III **workouts
6/9/2005..........added workouts below
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Live from Chicago: Felton, Brown work out
I'm in Chicago a few days early to check out some top prospects working out for Tim Grover at ATTACK Athletics.
On Monday, Raymond Felton, Dee Brown, Louis Williams, Rawle Marshall, Deji Akendele, Jason Maxiell and Taylor Coppenrath are hitting ATTACK.
Check back throughout the day for live blog updates from the gym.
First up were the two fastest point guards in the draft -- Raymond Felton and Dee Brown -- joined by a surprise guest, former Bulls point guard Jay Williams.
Felton looked the part of a lottery pick today. He has a great body and blinding speed, and he was showing off his much-improved jumper today.
A couple of things really stood out:
First, Felton is an amazing athlete. He was finishing lobs from Williams with tomahawk jams. That's special when you factor in that Felton measured 6-0¾ in socks.
Second, Felton is super quick laterally. Combine that with his strong upper body and Felton has a chance to be a great pro defender. If Felton can continue to improve his jumper (he looked great from mid-range, inconsistent from NBA 3-point range), he has the chance to be a great pro.
Brown may be, baseline to baseline, the fastest guy in the draft. He appears to have bulked up quite a bit in the last month and he's got a nice shot that extends beyond the NBA 3-point line.
The only knocks on him are size (he's only 5-11) and a lack of explosive athletic ability (he can't dunk).
What he can't show in a workout like this is whether he can play the point. His ballhandling skills are good, but you can't judge decision making skills here. That's why Brown will be playing in Chicago at the pre-draft camp. If he runs the point well there, he's got a shot at the late first round.
The surprise was Williams. He held his own against two of the fastest guys in the draft. His shot is better than ever. He's cutting and jumping. He went full steam for an entire hour with Felton and Brown and looked just fine.
Williams said after the workout that everything is coming back to him and he's hoping to be in an NBA training camp this fall. It remains to be seen whether he'll ever get back to his old self. But he's on the right path.
Bogut or Williams? Bucks still deciding
About one week before the June 28 NBA draft, the Milwaukee Bucks should be able to reach a decision about who they'll draft No. 1.
Insider has learned that Marvin Williams is scheduled to work out in Milwaukee on June 19 and that Andrew Bogut is in the next day, June 20.
The workouts will be light, one-on-none affairs. The skills of Bogut, 20, are well-known and shouldn't surprise the Bucks. Williams, 18, is a greater mystery and will have a better chance to blow the Bucks away with his athleticism and shooting prowess.
Just as important will be the personal interviews. Teams have zero contact with players during the year, per league rules. The sit-down interviews with the owner and GM are important. I'm not sure if an interview can really help you, but a bad interview has hurt prospects in the past. A team wants to know what type of person they'll be working with, both on and off the court.
Bucks GM Larry Harris maintains that Milwaukee hasn't decided whom to take and won't decide until both players work out for the Bucks.
Much like last year, it's a contest between experience and potential. Last season, the Magic chose Dwight Howard's potential over Emeka Okafor's experience. Okafor went on to win Rookie of the Year. But it looks like Howard will be the better player five years from now, if he isn't already.
This year the Bucks are getting pressure to take Bogut. He is a legitimate center, was the best player in college basketball this past season at Utah and is seen as a safe bet to be one of the top five centers in the NBA someday.
Williams has more potential. He's long and athletic, and he can play multiple positions well. He could turn into a superstar down the road. Some scouts believe he's a better prospect than Carmelo Anthony. However, Williams might take longer to develop. He was the sixth man this year at North Carolina (albeit on the best college team in the country) and rarely had to shoulder the load the way a No. 1 pick might be expected to. Most scouts Insider has talked to believe that, in five years, Williams will be the best player from this draft.
Insider talked to 10 different GMs this week and asked who they thought the Bucks would take No. 1. Eight of them said Bogut.
Bogut's agent, David Bauman, isn't surprised. Bauman is confident the Bucks will eventually pick Bogut over Williams.
"He's the best center prospect to come along in years," Bauman told Insider. "He's smart, intelligent, loves the game, is very skilled and he can help right away. I think once he sits down with [owner] Herb Kohl and [GM] Larry Harris and looks them in the eye, they'll know he's a guy they can build their franchise around."
Both prospects are assuming that the Bucks will keep the pick. Why? While the Bucks, I believe, would be open to moving the pick for the right deal, word is that there has been zero interest from the other 29 teams in the league about a possible trade.
Bogut doesn't plan to work out with any other teams. However, Bauman said he might also visit the Atlanta Hawks, who pick No. 2.
The same holds true for Williams. He's scheduled to work out only for the Bucks but likely will visit the Hawks.
If Williams goes No. 1, the Hawks likely will take Bogut. If Bogut goes No. 1, the Hawks might be willing to deal the pick to Charlotte for the No. 5 and No. 13. They love Williams but don't need him because they have similar young players like Al Harrington, Josh Childress and Josh Smith already on the roster. And the point guard they like, Illinois' Deron Williams, probably will still be on the board at No. 5.
Who would the Bobcats take if they were to move up to No. 2? They've had a love affair all year with Chris Paul, but sources say Williams would be the guy they'd grab.
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6/9/2005..........added workouts below
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Live from Chicago: Felton, Brown work out
I'm in Chicago a few days early to check out some top prospects working out for Tim Grover at ATTACK Athletics.
On Monday, Raymond Felton, Dee Brown, Louis Williams, Rawle Marshall, Deji Akendele, Jason Maxiell and Taylor Coppenrath are hitting ATTACK.
Check back throughout the day for live blog updates from the gym.
First up were the two fastest point guards in the draft -- Raymond Felton and Dee Brown -- joined by a surprise guest, former Bulls point guard Jay Williams.
Felton looked the part of a lottery pick today. He has a great body and blinding speed, and he was showing off his much-improved jumper today.
A couple of things really stood out:
First, Felton is an amazing athlete. He was finishing lobs from Williams with tomahawk jams. That's special when you factor in that Felton measured 6-0¾ in socks.
Second, Felton is super quick laterally. Combine that with his strong upper body and Felton has a chance to be a great pro defender. If Felton can continue to improve his jumper (he looked great from mid-range, inconsistent from NBA 3-point range), he has the chance to be a great pro.
Brown may be, baseline to baseline, the fastest guy in the draft. He appears to have bulked up quite a bit in the last month and he's got a nice shot that extends beyond the NBA 3-point line.
The only knocks on him are size (he's only 5-11) and a lack of explosive athletic ability (he can't dunk).
What he can't show in a workout like this is whether he can play the point. His ballhandling skills are good, but you can't judge decision making skills here. That's why Brown will be playing in Chicago at the pre-draft camp. If he runs the point well there, he's got a shot at the late first round.
The surprise was Williams. He held his own against two of the fastest guys in the draft. His shot is better than ever. He's cutting and jumping. He went full steam for an entire hour with Felton and Brown and looked just fine.
Williams said after the workout that everything is coming back to him and he's hoping to be in an NBA training camp this fall. It remains to be seen whether he'll ever get back to his old self. But he's on the right path.
Bogut or Williams? Bucks still deciding
About one week before the June 28 NBA draft, the Milwaukee Bucks should be able to reach a decision about who they'll draft No. 1.
Insider has learned that Marvin Williams is scheduled to work out in Milwaukee on June 19 and that Andrew Bogut is in the next day, June 20.
The workouts will be light, one-on-none affairs. The skills of Bogut, 20, are well-known and shouldn't surprise the Bucks. Williams, 18, is a greater mystery and will have a better chance to blow the Bucks away with his athleticism and shooting prowess.
Just as important will be the personal interviews. Teams have zero contact with players during the year, per league rules. The sit-down interviews with the owner and GM are important. I'm not sure if an interview can really help you, but a bad interview has hurt prospects in the past. A team wants to know what type of person they'll be working with, both on and off the court.
Bucks GM Larry Harris maintains that Milwaukee hasn't decided whom to take and won't decide until both players work out for the Bucks.
Much like last year, it's a contest between experience and potential. Last season, the Magic chose Dwight Howard's potential over Emeka Okafor's experience. Okafor went on to win Rookie of the Year. But it looks like Howard will be the better player five years from now, if he isn't already.
This year the Bucks are getting pressure to take Bogut. He is a legitimate center, was the best player in college basketball this past season at Utah and is seen as a safe bet to be one of the top five centers in the NBA someday.
Williams has more potential. He's long and athletic, and he can play multiple positions well. He could turn into a superstar down the road. Some scouts believe he's a better prospect than Carmelo Anthony. However, Williams might take longer to develop. He was the sixth man this year at North Carolina (albeit on the best college team in the country) and rarely had to shoulder the load the way a No. 1 pick might be expected to. Most scouts Insider has talked to believe that, in five years, Williams will be the best player from this draft.
Insider talked to 10 different GMs this week and asked who they thought the Bucks would take No. 1. Eight of them said Bogut.
Bogut's agent, David Bauman, isn't surprised. Bauman is confident the Bucks will eventually pick Bogut over Williams.
"He's the best center prospect to come along in years," Bauman told Insider. "He's smart, intelligent, loves the game, is very skilled and he can help right away. I think once he sits down with [owner] Herb Kohl and [GM] Larry Harris and looks them in the eye, they'll know he's a guy they can build their franchise around."
Both prospects are assuming that the Bucks will keep the pick. Why? While the Bucks, I believe, would be open to moving the pick for the right deal, word is that there has been zero interest from the other 29 teams in the league about a possible trade.
Bogut doesn't plan to work out with any other teams. However, Bauman said he might also visit the Atlanta Hawks, who pick No. 2.
The same holds true for Williams. He's scheduled to work out only for the Bucks but likely will visit the Hawks.
If Williams goes No. 1, the Hawks likely will take Bogut. If Bogut goes No. 1, the Hawks might be willing to deal the pick to Charlotte for the No. 5 and No. 13. They love Williams but don't need him because they have similar young players like Al Harrington, Josh Childress and Josh Smith already on the roster. And the point guard they like, Illinois' Deron Williams, probably will still be on the board at No. 5.
Who would the Bobcats take if they were to move up to No. 2? They've had a love affair all year with Chris Paul, but sources say Williams would be the guy they'd grab.
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